Easy oven-baked falafels (Vegan/GF)
An easy oven-baked version of falafels, made with chickpeas, fine herbs and other seasonings. This recipe makes about 20 falafels which provide around 5 - 7 servings.
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry chickpeas soaked overnight at room temperature or quick soaked, see notes on soaking methods
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh herbs parsley, cilantro, dill
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp roasted sesame
- 1-2 green chillies
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour or chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a food processor and process for several minutes until the mixture is a fine grain. Add the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°f and grease two baking pans with one to two tablespoons of oil each. You can omit the oil by using a silicone baking sheet, but it will lose a little crunch. I recommend cast-iron skillets as baking pans because they will retain heat and give a crispier finish. If you don't have cast iron, cookie sheets are an good alternative.
- Form the mixture into about 20 round balls. I like to use an ice cream scoop to get an even shape. Place them on your baking pan and bake for about 15 to 25 minutes on one side. Check your falafels to see if they are ready to be flipped. They should be browned on the bottom side. If the bottom sticks to the pan, it might need a few more minutes to harden more before you flip them. Use a spoon or thin spatula to flip them in a swift motion. Once flipped to the opposite side, bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until they are browned on both sides.
Notes
There are two methods for soaking the chickpeas for falafels. The first is to soak the chickpeas at room temperature overnight. Place them in a large bowl with a generous amount of water as they will triple in size. The second option is a quick soak, for when you forget to soak the chickpeas overnight. Quickly boil the chickpeas and then set them aside to soak for an hour